Wonder Woman: War of Ares
by jygu2004
Summary: Diana Prince has been waiting for Steve ever since he left. But when Bruce tells her about the message from Ares, Diana knows that she has to end this war. For Steve.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

36226\. 36226 days Steve. I'm still waiting for you.

The night sky still shone brightly. Still. It's been years, and it still shines. Though of course, I could not judge the sky as an it. The sky was not a thing. It was more of an idea. A very beautiful idea that still shines over ninety nine years. The world seemed still beneath me. Nothing sounded except for the clicking of my own heels against the sidewalk. Gateway City has always been beautiful to me. Except for tonight. Tonight, something wasn't right.

I began to run. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. The blood coursing through my veins. It wasn't a midnight run. Anyone could tell it wasn't. Though of course, nobody was outside to tell that it wasn't. Running on heels had never been a struggle for me. I was born to be strong. But even then, I didn't train with black cars speeding through a dark alley. I stopped and pressed myself against the wall. A man came from the car and started coming. To me.

I slowly began to recognize him. "Bruce?"

"Diana," He paused slightly. "Something's happened."

"Where's Clark? What's wrong." I asked it like a statement. Not a question.

"You know I always come to you before him." He frowned. Just slightly. Though you could barely tell because he rarely ever smiles. "And this time it might be about you too."

We got into the car.

"Is it Themyscira?" I was worried. Bruce would never come to me if he could do it on his own. "Do we need the team?"

"No. We just find Clark, and I'll tell you."

"Tell me now, Bruce."

"It's not safe, Diana."

"Sir, you need to get out of Gateway immediately," Alfred came up on the speaker. "I detected strong heat signals. And they're following you."

"What is it Alfred?" Silence. He didn't answer my question.

I opened the window, and stuck my head out. The warm breeze felt nice against my skin. Warm? It was early January. I saw a red blur coming close up behind us. "Barry?" No, he had blue lightning. What was this?

A face came up amongst all of the mess. His face. The face I've been waiting to see for 36226 days. The one that came up in my dreams and nightmares every night. "Steve!" And the same time I opened the door, I heard, "Diana!"

From Steve or Bruce I do not know.


	2. Chapter 2

I woke in a dimly lit room. My head felt like it was swimming in water. Boiling water with ice in it. I turned and I saw Bruce looking down at me from a distance. The Batcave. I tried to get up, I didn't want Bruce to see me like this. But my head ached, and just the thought of sitting up made me want to throw up the remains of what was still there of me. I lied back down, and it hurt.

"Diana."

"I saw Steve." My voice was shaky. Something I rarely ever heard.

"Diana. That wasn't Steve,"

"Yes. I saw him."

"-it was a man. He called himself Ares."

I paused. No. Ares. It couldn't be Ares. I had destroyed Ares. Had completely destroyed him. Destroyed. But not killed. NOT KILLED.

But Steve.

I saw him with my own eyes. I was sure of it.

I sat there, looking stunned. Just thinking. My mind a hurricane of thoughts. I felt like I was falling and falling and falling forever. Like Steve had just flown away on that plane a few minutes ago. Like he had left me for the second time. And falling and falling and falling. It wasn't right. Nothing was right. Nothing had gone according to plan. And yet, there was no plan. I was destined to stay on Themyscira for my whole life. I was an Amazon Princess. I was Diana Prince. But who am I right now? Who am I.

"Diana. You need to listen. Ares or whoever he is sent me a message. He said that the war isn't over. He said that it will never be over."

I wasn't sure what to say. My mind was barely listening to Bruce. "Bruce. I saw Steve. I saw him." I began to cry. My tears leaked from my eyes. I began to sob. "Steve, Steve!"

Bruce wasn't sure how to react. He'd never seen me like this. I was always perfectly calm Diana Prince. Never showing any emotion. This was over one hundred percent. This was infinite.

"Diana." He faltered. And stopped. He began walking up to me and I could barely see him. He put his hands on my shoulders and shook me. "Diana! Diana! Listen to me." I couldn't stop. Tears flooded out of me. And suddenly, he pulled me into his arms and held tightly. Bruce- was hugging me. I stopped.

"I'm - sorry. I- I shouldn't have done that." I faltered.

Bruce pretended nothing had happened. He went to his computer and began typing. Immediately, a video footage came up.

"I haven't seen you in a long time, Princess of the Amazons. I might even say that I missed you. But of course, the past century, I've been thinking of one thing. You. I have something you want. You might know what it is. You might not. But the war has not ended yet Diana. It has only just begun. And I will promise you. My war. Ares' war, will not be over. Ever."

The footage came to a stop, and I just stared. Stared into nothing. He had Steve. Steve was alive!

"Bruce, we need Kal-El."

"Sure, whatever. I'll get him."

"No you won't. I know about this battle that has been going on between you and him for years. I'll get him."

"No Diana. You're to weak."

At this I smiled just so slightly, stood up, and punched him in the face. He bent backwards swaying a little until gaining balance and looked slightly embarrassed. "Sure, go." And as I thought about it, maybe a little angry too.

Alfred drove me to the one place where Superman would be. Metropolis. As we entered the city, I could again tell that it wasn't right. It was still nighttime and all of the lights were off. That was normal, but what about the streetlights? The nighttime cars and such. The lampposts by the sidewalks. They were all silent. Clearly, it wasn't just Gateway.

Superman was easy to spot. I was expecting to have to go to his home but anyone could clearly see him hovering in the sky in front of the moon. I smiled. Typical Clark. I stretched my head out the window and waved slightly. I softly said, "Kal-El", and in a few seconds, he had come down.

"Diana." He smiled.

"Clark," I couldn't help but smile back. His smile somehow always made me feel better. But I frowned just after, reminding myself of Steve. "Something's come up. We need your help."

"What is it?"

"Come in, I'll tell you at Bruce's." And as I expected, Clark left and soon I could feel the car rising. I grinned. Clark flew us up into the air and started towards Gotham. This was one thing that they would not have during World War One. Where Steve died. My smiled faded and I closed my eyes. It would only be a few minutes of peace until everything would start again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

My mother had always told me that men were stupid. That they were not to be trusted. I believed her, but that was when I never met one. When I met you. Day 36234.

Bruce, Clark, Me. I've always loved this feeling. Us three fighting together. It felt infinite. But today, it wasn't. Today it wasn't about some Lex Luther revenge, or some mother box. Today, it was about Steve.

My attention was focused the watch that Steve had given me before he left. I wore it around my wrist every single day even though it was slightly too large. Steve had worn this watch every single day. And then he just decided to give it to me. And yet I didn't deserve such a thing. I could have done something. Something. I could have thrown the plane into the air, or at least gotten Steve to change his mind. He was- _is_ much more important to me than the war.

"Diana." Clark. I looked up. I was always focused, precise, perfect. Not today I wasn't.

"What have you come up with?" I walked towards Bruce's computer, and began to type. My hands seemed to know what to do, though my mind wasn't working. I began to talk, childhood stories flowing from my lips.

"Ares is the Greek God of War. He loves it. He survives with it. He says he wants war right now."

"Yeah, but there are no places with war right now." Bruce.

"Yes. Except for a few places. But those are too small. The wars in Africa, Asia. They're not enough for him to survive on."

"And that's why he's going to make his own." Clark.

I paused for a second. This wasn't me. This wasn't right. I was never behind the computers Diana. I was a fighter. A warrior. But what am I now?

Bruce interrupted my thoughts. "So where are we going to find him?"

"Just track the large heat signals, like you said." Clark.

"It doesn't exactly work like that. It's only hot when Ares is in god form. In 1918, when he was human, there were no 'heat signals'".

"I'll use my super vision."

"No. Ares is a god. He can hide whenever, wherever."

"But doesn't he want us to find him?"

I paused. Not knowing what to say. Ares wanted us to find him. He wanted the war. He wanted to fight me. "We don't find Ares." I said. "Ares finds us."

Both of them stared at me, knowing I was right.

"So if he's coming, what do we do now?" Bruce.

I looked down, not knowing what to say. The sureness that just lasted a few seconds, completely gone. My palms were sweating, and I began to notice that my neck was to. My hair was slightly damp, and it getting slightly harder to breath. It was mid January.

"Bruce, do you have the heater on?"

"No, why?"

I tensed up. My mind whirled, unable to think straight. My eyes squinted shut, and again I was falling and falling and falling. Until I focused on one thing. Steve.

"Bruce, he's not coming." I paused. "He's already here." The back of my neck prickled with sweat. I turned around. I hated him. I hated him. I drew my sword. Adrenaline coursing through my veins. I hated him. He had Steve. He had Steve! I had to destroy him- no, kill him! I had to kill him with all the knives in the world. The universe. With all of the impossible to count hatred inside of me.

I screamed. I screamed. My lungs ached. But it was Ares, and now, there would be no war, and all there would be was what I had been waiting for for 36234 days. My sword reached his chest, and was about to pierce through it until I saw his face.

Steve.

My sword dropped to the floor. _Steve._ I began to cry. I was sobbing, sobbing. I knelt down on my knees. My feet were no longer able to support my weight. I could hear him say "Diana, Diana!" Or was that Bruce? Or Clark? No. It was Steve! I stood up, and I opened my arms, and was about to wrap my arms around him. Hold him.

I could hear footsteps coming up behind me. I walked faster, but he pushed past me, raised a fist, and punched Steve in the nose. "Clark!" I screamed.

I picked up the sword from the ground, and ran towards him. My eyes a display of anger. I sunk the sword into his arm. Not caring whether he hurt or not. He had hurt Steve.

I blacked out.


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors Note - I'm sorry for taking such a long a time to write this chapter, though it is very short. I tried to make it better from your reviews, (don't worry, I will include Diana's mother, probably in the next chapter). Hope you enjoy it!**

 **Chapter 4**

 _My eyes opened to darkness. Darkness. I slowly stood up. I felt light. Really light._ Am I dead? _The darkness surrounded me. I looked around. Where was Buce? Where was Clark? I chest began to hurt. I could feel it beating and beating and beating. The darkness swallowed me. I closed my eyes. Darkness. It was all empty. I could feel the cold spreading. From my heart to the tips of my hair, through my legs. I was gone. "Diana!" I heard the cry. Him. I recognized the voice._ Steve.

 _I ran. I didn't know where but I ran. His voice. His voice was everywhere. Steve. I turned around and he was standing there. His arms outstretched. I ran towards him, but with every step I took, he was farther and farther. I reached my hand forward and it was just plain cold. I began to cry._ No, Diana, no. _The tears left and I could feel the anger swallowing me, surrounding me, becoming me. I punched it with fists. My fists were flying, trying to destroy everything. Ares had taken everything I lived for. Now, he's taking everything I would die for._

* * *

I woke again in the Bat Cave, the edges of my vision slightly dark. The room was the same. It was as if Steve had never come. I sat up, my back aching. Everywhere hurting. Bruce was watching me from a corner.

"Diana."

"What happened?"

He bit his lip, had I done something wrong? He led me to another room. A large bed.

"What happened?" I asked again.

"You stabbed me." I could hear a small laugh coming from under the covers. Kal-El.

"I hurt you?" Suddenly, I remembered. He hurt Steve. And then I hurt him. I shook my head.

"I'm sorry. Are you all right?"

"Yeah. I'm Superman. Super quick healing. What do we do now?"

There was a pause between us.

"I saw Steve." I winced, something I rarely did.

"Diana, you didn't. That was Ares. I've told you before, remember?" Bruce.

I closed my eyes, hoping to escape all this. "No, I saw Steve. Why is that whenever Ares comes, I see Steve? Tell me Bruce. Why?"

He stared at me.

"We need to do something. Diana's hallucinating whenever she see's Ares, so why don't-" He paused.

"You want me to stop fighting?"

"No, that's-"

"Clark, this is my war. It was my choice to choose you. You have no right." Bruce held me back as I tried to get closer.

"Diana. We're not giving you a choice." Bruce.

"I stared at him, unsure of what to say. I bit my lip. "Ares is only going to listen to me. All he wants is me." I led them back to the main room. I turned on the screens. Still black. White noise played in the background, we waited. And soon, all the screens showed the typing.

DIANA.

PRINCESS OF THEMYSCIRA.

BELGIUM.

The screen's were dark again. I turned. "Belgium." I bit my lip. "You're right. I can't go."

Steve had flown up in that plane in Belgium. The one with the bombs that were ready to explode. In Belgium.

"I'll fly us over." Clark.

"You're not serious." Bruce. "I have a private jet."

* * *

The air in the Bat Cave felt more clear without them. I sat in the center of the screens. Half showing Bruce's camera. Half showing Clark's. This wasn't right. I was born to fight. Clark's voice came up in my ear.

"Diana, search for the heat signals. He wants us to come, so he's probably ready."

I typed. Every finger knowing where to go. I seconds, I could see the circles of heat radiation around that one point. On point. I zoomed, hoping to get a closer look. I did. The party. It was the place of the party. Where Steve died. I could feel the creases between my eyebrows as I spoke.

"It's the German High Command."

Everything seemed different. The place, it was empty. No building, rock paths. No debris, bodies, nothing. A vast piece of dirt land. That was all. As from the cameras, Bruce and Clark were turning around, making sure that Ares wouldn't be a surprise. Bruce wasn't used to fighting in plain sight. It was only minutes before I saw him. _It_ to be exact. A blur of red came up in front of Clark. Slowly softening until you could see a person. But it wasn't Ares.

Steve.

He looked into the camera. Both Bruce's and Clark's.

Clark flew up and used his heat vision. Bruce flung himself toward Steve, both wanting to hurt him.

"Stop!" I screamed it. "Stop!"

From Clark's screen, I could see Bruce take away his earpiece, and same for Clark.

I didn't care. "Stop!"

Alfred came into the room, watching me scream in the seat.

"Miss Prince-"

He wasn't sure what to say. This wasn't me. Not me, not me.

I began smashing all the computers. Punching them with my fists. "Stop!"

It was until the last one where saw Steve. His mouth opened and closed. _Stop._

I stopped.

Bruce and Clark were still fighting him, unable to get through what seemed like a wall Steve was holding up. He stared at me. My lips were slightly parted. I could see the sweat dripping down the sides of his face. His hair ruffled. His eyes smiling at me. _I love you_.

I just stared.

Stop.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Darkness. That was all. But this time it wasn't a dream. I had changed into my armor. My sword was at my side, and shield around my arm. A black cloak draped around my shoulders. My hair let down to feel the gentle breeze. I didn't care if people saw me. I was Wonder Woman to them. Nobody else. Well, of course, nobody was outside to see.

I began to run. My legs getting back to the quick pace. Right, left, right. I tried not to think of Steve, yet he was the only reason I was running. I knew where I was going. Not Gateway, not Belgium.

Home.

I was going home.

Themyscira was all the same. I passed the invisible border, and I saw them. Everybody was there, crowded by the shores, waiting for my arrival. Cheers began to form as I landed Bruce's plane nearby. I stepped out. Unsure of what to do. I hadn't been here in ages. It wasn't different. Nothing had changed. Everything was nearly the same, it was just so unfamiliar. Mother ran towards me smiling and soon I was in her arms.

"Diana!"

I smiled.

Others came crowding around me. Antiope smiled at me, and I smiled back, the first time being able to smile. But it still wasn't right.

"Diana, you must have lot's to tell me." Mother pulled away from me, and I smiled, I wasn't who I was before. I wasn't the little girl who wanted to save the world. What was I?

Mother sent everyone back and began to walk with me. I glanced back at Antiope. She nodded, and left with the other warriors.

"Diana, I know that you'd never come here unless something was wrong. Tell me. What happened?"

I paused, unsure of what to say, noticing that I haven't said anything to mother since I got here. "It's been a long time."

"Diana."

"Steve. It's Steve."

Mother looked at me. I saw the disappointment in her eyes. "Diana. He's man. He left a long time ago. I know that."

"No, he didn't I saw him. He's here!"

"No, Diana, he's not. If the only reason you came back here was to talk to me about men, you may as well leave!"

I closed my eyes. Opened them. "No. You don't understand. He, Ares. Ares is here! He's back!"

Mother looked at me. "Godkiller? The Godkiller is back?"

"I don't know. But Steve. Whenever Clark or Bruce see Ares, I see Steve!"

Mother stared at the ground. "But that man, he died. Only Hades could bring him back."

"What do you mean?"

"The one god that did not fight against Ares when Zeus created man, was Hades. Hades was the god of death. That's what he wanted. So he didn't fight."

"Then Hades could have brought Steve back?"

"No. Only if there was a trade. If he was able to come back, Ares would have to give him something in return."

I paused. "Ares wants me. I'm the trade."

"No, that isn't right. Hades, he knows how valuable you are. That's why Ares wants you. It wouldn't be a fair trade. Ares wants you dead, but he doesn't want the man alive."

"Then he's using him. He's using Steve, so whenever I see Ares, I see Steve."

Mother paused, and shook her head. "Be careful in the world of men, Diana."

She turned her back on me, and left, leaving me to wonder why. Why.


End file.
